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SOTA c29s02
Text The night was deep and dark, and Ponyville was tense: everyone knew that something important was going on, but no one was quite sure what. But demons had been posted around the square, blocking off access to it, and the library had more than one guest within its walls. Antares currently sat with his back to this, eyes closed, breathing slowly in and out. Kismet was late... very late, as a matter of fact. It was long past sunset and now almost midnight, and the young stallion didn't know what to make of this. He trembled a little, rubbing at his face slowly, taking this moment just for himself... before his eyes widened in surprise as a voice asked gently: “Have you come to your decision, my child?” Slowly, Antares looked up, as that sensation of inevitability slowly filled the air around him: Kismet was standing only ten feet away or so, looking down at him quietly. For a few moments, Antares looked up at him silently, and then he simply nodded a little before looking down and asking quietly: “Thesis thinks there's no difference between... offering a life, and offering something like money or privilege, does he?” “Thesis is... is very young, for one so old.” Kismet said softly, and the death entity silently studied Antares as the young stallion looked up at him, before he added gently: “I can read your mind and your emotions, child. This trap is clever but it is no ambush. Please, tell your friends to come out.” “Not yet. I want to talk to you a little first.” Antares smiled a bit, and he looked away as he added quietly: “Besides, it's still a trap. You can't leave until you do what Thesis asked you to do, right? Which I take it means you have to stay here until I give you a yes or no.” “Cunning. And correct, yes.” Kismet said after a moment, tilting his head before he strode calmly forwards, and the death entity carefully sat himself down beside Antares, who couldn't help but smile faintly in spite of himself. But Kismet only chuckled quietly, looking up towards the dark night sky as he murmured: “No, I have no fear of the Destroyer. She would not stab me in the back, whether she bore her mind still or not. I know well the ways of demons and mortals alike... or at least I like to think I do. I have been doing my job for many, many years.” Antares nodded a little, and the two were silent for a few moments before the stallion lowered his head and said quietly: “This is hard. The last enemy I fought was Cancer... and he was a monster. Heartless destruction, with all the madness of chaos. But you're nothing like him. I'm having trouble even thinking of you as an enemy.” “That is because I am not. We only have the ill fortune to be on opposing sides of the battlefield... the Valkyries understand this.” Kismet said softly, looking up toward the stars above. “I don't like what I am doing. Nor is it loyalty that binds me to Thesis. But this simply is what it is: we must make the best of it, that is all.” “You're a strange creature, Kismet.” Antares stopped, then he looked down and murmured: “If I brought Prestige back... no matter what I did, how I did it, it would hurt her, wouldn't it? And she wouldn't have... a life here. Her parents are trying to move on, and... even I'm trying to move on now. And I guess... paradise above must be nicer than getting dragged into the middle of a war.” “Happiness is where you find it, Antares. There is beauty in all things, if you know where to look, and you are willing to gaze past your own inner turmoil. But most of all, peace is found within one's own self.” Kismet said calmly, nodding slowly as he reached up and gently tapped the stallion's breast with one finger. “If you can find that place of hidden sanctuary within your own self, then even in the worst of peril, the darkest of pits, you can find a reason to persevere and a reason to be happy.” “You remind me of my uncle, except he's a lot less calmer than you and a lot more... well, he laughs a lot.” Antares looked up with a faint smile, and then he asked quietly: “Where's Thesis, Kismet? What is he doing?” “I can't simply reveal that information. I can't go against what Thesis tells me or has wished, as much as I would like to.” Kismet said quietly, and Antares nodded a little before the Great Reaper reached up and touched his shoulder, and the stallion was surprised: not just how gentle it was, but that the silver gauntlet was warm. “You cannot force someone to come back to you, Antares, when they have gone willingly beyond. But even when a loved one is far away, you can still speak to them, in your mind, in letters, in words that echo to the sky and have a habit of finding the right ears... and you can always ask them to visit.” There was silence for a moment, and Antares frowned slowly up at Kismet, who seemed to smile through his mask, before the stallion asked impulsively: “Will you take a message to her, then? Tell her how much I... I still love her, that I'm trying to move on, but... I'd... I'd like to see her?” Kismet nodded without hesitation, and then the death entity stood, saying quietly over his shoulder: “Then our business is complete, and I must head off to complete my other tasks. I apologize for taking so long, by the way... but I wanted to catch you alone, Antares Mīrus, and my other business took... much longer than expected.” Kismet turned... then he suddenly stopped, lowering his head with a frown before chuckling quietly and shaking his head slowly. “Oh. I didn't expect that.” Antares smiled wryly, and slowly, the death entity turned around, glancing calmly back and forth with his golden-fire eyes as he asked with what sounded like honest interest: “Those demons around the area... they're not here to help attack me, are they?” “Nightmares aren't very strong, but they're cunning, and they work really well in groups...” Antares smiled slightly, gesturing at the library. “That, combined with my aunt's apparently-infinite knowledge about everything magical...” “You're disrupting my ability to step outside reality. There's... just enough static in the air to prevent me from becoming wholly ethereal... but that means many of the creatures of darkness will lose their own ethereality as well. Even the Phooka inside the zone you've created would be harmed by physical means... I am impressed. Not just by your strategy, but by the trust you must have fostered with these creatures.” Kismet said softly, bowing his head politely. “But a single ring of my bell would disrupt the effect completely.” “You could... in fact, you would hurt innocent people if you did that, Kismet. Do you really want to take that risk?” Antares asked softly, tilting his head as the library door opened, and Hollow Star, Celestia, and Luna all strode out in full armor, followed a moment later by Twilight Sparkle, who was dressed only in a thick sweater. “I suppose not. And I don't sense the intent to kill me...” Slowly, Kismet's eyes roved over the group of ponies as they assumed a line, and Antares slowly stood and joined them, smiling faintly as he stood between Twilight and Luna: armor or not, he was determined to take part in this. And he knew that for Celestia and Luna, wearing their armor wasn't about protecting themselves: it was a sign of their honor, of who they were. Kismet was a Great Reaper, after all: it wasn't the physical he would hurt most. “Ah, I see. That's very clever, demon.” “Shut up.” Hollow Star growled, but she was grinning as her chains extended, snapping back and forth as she whispered: “You're going to lead us right to Thesis. And if these Replicants are half as strong as I've been told, all this time spent as a servant will be worthwhile.” “Before we begin, I do have a request.” Kismet said calmly, holding up his hand, and Celestia frowned but tilted her head as Luna glared and Hollow Star snorted in dark amusement. “Would you please return my arm to me? This state is a little uncomfortable for me, you see.” “No.” Luna said sourly, before anyone could speak. “I am having it repurposed for scratching my backside. 'Twill be much more worthwhile that way.” Kismet sighed quietly, and then he flicked his hand calmly out to the side, a long, polished wand appearing in his grip. “I'm afraid I can't permit you to bind me down.” “We'll do what we have to do, Kismet. Good luck to you.” Celestia said gently, and then she bowed her head deeply, Luna and Hollow Star following the golden armored mare's example, and Kismet straightened before bowing politely in return to them. And then, without further ado, Celestia flicked her horn sharply forwards, unleashing a blast of golden flames, but Kismet only calmly flicked his wand upwards, and the fireball exploded in midair. Luna and Hollow Star were both already charging forwards through the blast, but Kismet backstepped and flicked his wand almost absently out to one side, the earth erupting upwards in a jutting wave of spikes that forced Luna to stagger hurriedly sideways with a wince, halting in her advance, before the Great Reaper snapped his wand fiercely to the side as Hollow Star leapt at him. The metallic demon was blown backwards by a blast of force, but the Destroyer snarled as she snapped her head downwards and her chains lashed fiercely into the ground, catching and halting her... but then her eyes bulged in shock, mane and tail both beginning to shrink when Kismet pointed his wand at her, gold and white energy bleeding like smoke out of the plates in her armor as he said quietly: “I only have to stop you, demon. No one else here possesses the magic necessary to recall me.” The Destroyer sank to her knees, but then Celestia leapt in front of her and snapped her horn firmly forwards, unleashing a blast of golden flames that Kismet was forced to block, interrupting his drain of Hollow Star. The demon was on her hooves immediately as her eyes flashed, her energy already starting to return, before she grinned viciously as Celestia continued to pummel Kismet with blasts of golden energy, the Destroyer stepping slowly backwards as she rose a metallic hoof, and a large spike of steel shot out of it. Kismet grunted as he finally managed to parry a blade of golden energy before whirling his wand in a short circle, and Celestia winced and staggered, setting herself as a torrent of black smoke driven by icy wind whirled around her. It blinded and disoriented her, and Kismet began to draw his wand back... before the Great Reaper was staggered as the stony spikes he had warded off Luna with were blown backwards in a hurricane of rocky shrapnel, pelting him. Smoke burst up from his robes where large chunks of rock hit, and pieces of stone clanked off his armor as Luna and Twilight both flicked their horns, snarling and working in tandem to repeatedly throw and catch chunks of rock at the death entity, keeping him distracted. Kismet staggered, kept off balance before he sharply snapped out his wand, and for a bare moment of time, the world around him froze completely: chunks of stone ceased to move, ponies froze in place, even the black smoke itself encircling Celestia seemed to turn solid as ice. Antares watched with disbelief, breathing hard as he looked back and forth at what looked like frozen time: only he was far enough back to not be affected by it, as Kismet visibly shivered before snapping his wand firmly up, and a shockwave of static energy tore through the air around him as time returned to normal. It knocked the storm of rocky shrapnel to the ground and sent Celestia staggering further backwards even as it also disrupted the cloud of smog around her, and Luna and Twilight both cried out in pain... but Kismet himself seemed visibly winded by the exertion, slumping slightly even as he rose his wand defensively. For a moment, they all only stood in stalemate... and then Luna snarled before leaping forwards, and Kismet quickly snapped his wand out, blasting her backwards in an explosion of blue flame before he snapped his wand to the side, knocking Twilight sprawling from a blast of force before his wand pointed directly at Celestia. But the mare's horn glowed brightly as she gritted her teeth, her mane and tail sparking as she reared backwards, fighting the drain Kismet was attempting to put on her. The death entity looked surprised, then he flicked his wand quickly, and Celestia's eyes widened before she burst into golden flames, staggering back and forth a cry of pain as Antares shouted in denial, then snarled and spun towards Kismet, snapping his horn down to send out several blasts of white fire. Kismet deflected each of these with his wand before the young stallion charged forwards, but the death entity slapped his wand out the moment Antares lunged, smacking the stallion painfully out of the air to crash down with a groan of pain. The death entity began to raise his wand, but was distracted as Hollow Star charged past kneeling, smoldering Celestia, the Destroyer grinning widely before Kismet flicked his wand towards her... but to the surprise of the others, the Great Reaper then staggered backwards himself, whirling his arm as if he had been blasted by massive magical recoil. He looked surprised for a moment, and then he gasped when Hollow Star rammed into him, sinking her horn through his robed chest before she hefted him into the air, then lashed the death entity down into the ground and pounced on top of him, starting to mercilessly crush and pummel the creature with a wide, cold grin. Kismet's mask was dented, one of his antlers cracked, his body jarring with every savage strike of a front hoof down into him before he finally stabbed his wand up into the Destroyer's stomach, and there was a thunderous blast as she was knocked flying off him to crash down on her shell-armored back,while the shockwave of force not only disintegrated the death entity's own weapon, it crushed him flat into the ground. And in a moment, both Luna and Twilight leapt forwards, the sapphire mare snapping her horn out to send a wave of blue mist washing over the creature as Twilight spread her wings and hovered above, horn glowing as vines and thick mud burst upwards. In moments, Kismet was pinned, trapped beneath ice and rock and thick vines, only his head left free from the mound. The death entity breathed hard in and out as Twilight landed on one side of him and Luna strode up overtop with a wide grin, her horn glowing and gaze baleful as she said distastefully: “Thou art very fortunate I actually like thee, Kismet. Otherwise, now would be the time to fetch all manner of nasty things to pour into thy mouth and eyesockets.” Antares winced at this as he slowly picked himself up, and Celestia smiled wryly from where she was sitting, as Hollow Star slowly shoved herself to her metallic hooves. The Destroyer shook her head slowly as she strode forwards, and Luna glanced meditatively over her shoulder at the demon before she noted the glowing set of white runes carved all along the metal plates that protected one foreleg. “It seems thou knows much, Hollow Star.” “I was the warlord of a powerful Greed devil. I needed to know much.” Hollow Star said calmly, glancing down at the runes along her limb. “A simple reflection charm. To be honest, I'm disappointed it worked so well.” “I am no warrior. And I have no desire to kill any of you. Only to escape.” Kismet said calmly, trying to shift beneath his prison of muck and vine and ice, before he looked slowly up as Hollow Star stepped forwards and grinned coldly. The Destroyer leaned down as her horn glowed, and Kismet twitched and shivered as the mare slowly cut several large runes into the death entity's mask, making him flinch as Antares bit his lip and Twilight shivered a little. But Celestia and Luna only calmly looked on, even if both mares seemed less than pleased as Hollow Star leaned back and said contemptibly: “Death is soft, I see. Are you sure you're not the death of infants and babies, instead of natural demise?” “Be silent and get on with it, Hollow Star.” Luna snapped, and the Destroyer smiled coldly before simply nodding. The demon lowered her head, her horn beginning to glow, and Luna grimaced and stepped carefully backwards as Celestia shifted uneasily, and Twilight stepped quickly away, but forced herself to keep watching. Antares winced, and he could barely keep his eyes on what was going on as Kismet twitched, cursed... then visibly bit back a scream, his body shivering hard as energy violently burst back and forth over his mask. His body quaked, ice and stone both crackling as the vines writhed, then several burst into flames from the energy that was building higher and higher around the Great Reaper. The runes carved in his mask took on a white sheen, smoke beginning to pour up from them as Kismet's golden eyes glowed brighter, and lightning crackled through the air as Hollow Star snarled, leaning down over the Great Reaper until their faces were almost touching. The world rumbled as Destroyer shoved forwards and the death entity resisted, before the trapped creature gave a single, final cry, and in a flash of light and a boom of sound, he was simply gone. Hollow Star staggered backwards as electricity sparked violently over her horn, her body shaking as cracks ripped through the line of runes down one of her forelegs and all along her metallic-armored body, before the Destroyer slumped, breathing hard and shivering violently. Blood dripped slowly from one nostril, and trickled silently from one ear as the demon closed her ivory eyes. There was silence, the ponies all looking at Hollow Star as she slowly regained her breath... and then the demon gave a quiet laugh before slowly looking up and grinning coldly, her eyes glowing bright white for a moment. “What a surprise, he survived. Maybe he's not as soft as I thought. Yes, I can trace this route. I'm not nearly powerful enough to open a portal there myself, but the location is etched in my memories now. I can tell you where he is, if you figure out how to get there.” “We have many ways to travel, fear not.” Luna muttered, and then she hesitated before straightening and glancing over at Antares, nodding silently once to him. The stallion smiled faintly and nodded back, and there was quiet for a few moments before the winged unicorn turned and looked quietly up at a balcony on the second floor of the library, where Scrivener was standing, smiling a little down at them and raising his booted foreleg. Luna shook her head, but laughed quietly all the same before glancing over at Celestia. She only smiled in return, but it reassured the sapphire mare as she turned her eyes to Twilight next, who met her eyes, trading emotions and tender thoughts for a moment. The winged unicorn turned back ahead as the connection broke, and she nodded firmly once before striding towards the library, proud of what they had accomplished and knowing it was a step forwards... and for now, using those positive feelings to block out her worries for the future, and what her family had yet to face. Top ↑